Reasons for the Necessity of Prophecy

Hawzah News Agency (Qom, Iran) ­– Since the creation of man is brought about by God, the Wise, it follows naturally that there is a goal and purpose for man’s creation. Now, given the fact that what man, and man alone, possesses is intellect and wisdom, it follows that the goal and purpose of his creation must be intelligible.

From another angle, however much the intellect of man is useful and necessary to him in his quest for the path of perfection, it has not been sufficient. Were he to remain satisfied with his intellect alone, he would never be able to find an integral path, one that can really lead him to his own perfection. For example, one of the most compelling of all intellectual challenges is to comprehend the mystery of man’s origin and his final destination. Man wishes to know from whence he came, why he came and whither he will go. But the intellect, acting alone, cannot clarify or resolve such issues.

The incapacity of the human intellect and its researches is not restricted to the domain of the origin and the end of humanity, but extends, rather, to many other questions of vital importance to life. The various and conflicting perspectives of man as regards economics, ethics, the family and other matters, all testify to the inability of the intellect to arrive at an infallible conclusion in these domains; and for this same reason, we observe the emergence of conflicting schools of thought. Considering these points carefully, the intelligence makes the sound judgment that divine wisdom has required that mankind be sent divinely guided leaders and teachers in order to establish clearly the path of right guidance.

Those who believe that the guidance offered by the intellect can replace the guidance bestowed by Heaven must address the following two questions:

1. Human intelligence and learning, as applied to the comprehension of man himself, of the mysteries of being, the past and the future of his existential journey, are inadequate; whilst the Creator of man, on the other hand—in accordance with the principle that every creator knows its creation—is completely aware of man, and all the dimensions and mysteries of his being. In the Quran, we have this argument referred to thus:

Should He not know what He created? And He is the Subtle, the Aware. (Sura al-Mulk, LXVII: 14)

2. Out of a compelling instinct of self-preservation, man consciously or unconsciously applies himself to the pursuit of his personal benefit, and in his planning he is unable to leave out of account the benefit accruing to his personal or group interests. However, he will never be able to take into account the totality of the human collectivity; he will always be, to some extent, prejudiced in favour of his own self-interest. The guidance given by the Prophets, on the other hand, because it derives from the divine reality, is devoid of such partiality and the deficiencies that flow therefrom.

Taking these points into consideration, one must conclude that mankind has always been in need of divine guidance and prophetic instruction, and always will be.

Reference:

Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, Doctrines of Shii Islam, A Compendium of Imami Beliefs and Practices, Translated and Edited by Reza Shah-Kazemi, published by I.B.Tauris Publishers, London • New York  2003